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23 May, 2007

Our {Peanut} Update

Our little {Peanut} is now 12 weeks and 6 days old and I am already developing a small tummy. I believe second time round, one does tend to show a lot quicker than the first. I have been feeling very lethargic and tired this time round, more than I did with Amy...and it is only the beginning!!!

We had our first proper scan today with Julie. She was very happy with everything she saw and checked out. After she measured the size of baby, she gave us a new expected birth date. So it is no longer 4th December, but 29 November...just a few days earlier than we expected, but that is more than fine.

We heard the heart beating very strongly and loud, Peanut was facing forwards to us. It was moving quite a bit, moving the arms up to the face, rubbing eyes or perhaps giving us a wave, as you will see in the mini video. It all brought back so many memories of when we went in for our first scan for Amy...now we get to do it a second time round.

Foetal growth is particularly striking from now through to about 24 weeks of pregnancy. The foetus has doubled in length since the 7th week. Changes in foetal weight have also been tremendous during the last 8 to 10 weeks of your pregnancy.

The foetus is 7 - 8 cm long and the face is beginning to look more human.

One interesting change is the relative slowdown in the growth of your baby's head compared to the rest of its body. In week 13, the head is about half the length of the foetus. By week 21, the head is about one-third of the foetus's body. At birth, your baby's head is only one-fourth the size of its body. Foetal body growth accelerates as foetal head growth slows.

The liver is making bile. The intestines used to be partly in the umbilical cord, but are now contained in the baby's body. The baby's bone marrow, liver and spleen can produce red blood cells now. Foetal nerve cells have began multiplying rapidly and neurological connections in the brain (synapses) are forming. The foetus has acquired more reflexes - touching the sole of the feet makes the toes curl down. The pancreas is secreting insulin.